The One You Reach for First
by lizook
Summary: She’d been gone four weeks on a dig in Greece


**Spoilers/Timeline**: None/Set in future; Booth & Brennan are in an established relationship.

**Disclaimer**: Despite my continued begging Bones does not belong to me. Title can be found in Sugarland's _Fall Into Me_.

**A/N**: Part of this is especially for **AccordingToMel** (you'll know it when you see it ;)). Thanks to all of you who continually read and review. I so appreciate it. Enjoy.

* * *

Booth pushed another file across his desk, glancing at the calendar. She'd been gone four weeks (it felt like six months) on a dig in Greece. He knew she couldn't pass it up - that she loved getting back into the field - but he missed her. Terribly.

Work was painfully slow, which, in a way, was good. At least he didn't have to work with someone else. It gave him way too much time to sit and think about how she was an entire ocean away though.

He leaned back in his chair, eying the meager pile of reports left to file. At this rate, Cullen would have him teaching the newbies the most efficient way to close cases _and_ complete paperwork.

The phone rang and he lunged for it, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Special Agent Seeley Booth."

"Was the phone in your hand, Booth? You answered awfully fast."

Trust her to skip the pleasantries. He laughed, his professional tone quickly softening. "Bones..."

"Yes?"

"Just making sure you're not a mirage."

"Booth, mirages are optical illusions, not auditory ones."

"Thanks for the clarification. How's Greece?"

"Hot." She twisted the cord of the phone around her finger. "We're making progress, but I doubt we'll uncover anything before I have to leave."

"In two weeks."

"Yes, in two weeks."

"It wasn't a question." Laughter bubbled out of her; she could hear his smile through the line.

"Do you miss me, Agent Booth?"

"Of course. Who else can I get to explain the significance of kerf marks on T10?" He stood, crossing his office and closing the door. "I miss take out at your place and arguing over whether we should trust my gut or not and-" His voice dropped. "being able to kiss the argument right out of you."

"That's not a very effective method for convincing me of the validity of your point, but..." She left the rest unsaid, the most recent memory of his lips hungrily pressing against hers (she thought airport security would have arrested them if she hadn't pulled away when she did) flooding her senses. She cleared her throat. "Have you had any cases that you've needed the lab's assistance on?"

"Two. Both took longer than they should have. Wendell's a good kid, Bones, but he's no you. Took him three days to find an anomaly you would have noticed on your initial examination."

"He'll get there." She leaned against the headboard of the bed, closing her eyes. "I do miss it though. I mean, it's been nice to be able to reconnect with what I originally loved in my field, but it's only served to remind me of how important _our _work is. Furthermore, I miss being with people who don't use twelve syllable words in every sentence."

He laughed. "Speaking of people who don't use twelve syllable words, I took Parker to see the new Disney movie and you'll never believe who I saw walking out of one of the other theaters." He rushed on, not even giving her time to guess. "Cam and Hodgins!"

"Booth, you sound like a thirteen year old girl!" She kicked off her shoes, burrowing under the covers. "Besides, they're friends. Why shouldn't they go to the movies?"

"Not saying they shouldn't, Bones. _Autumnal Bliss_ just doesn't seem like a Hodgins type of movie to me though."

"You may have a point there."

He smiled, settling in his desk chair once more. He could practically see her stretched across her bed, nodding as if he'd just presented her with particulates that tied their main suspect to the victim. He glanced at the clock.

"Why'd you call, Bones? Your flight didn't change, did it?" His stomach dropped at the thought; he'd already requested the time off.

"No, I just wanted to make sure you hadn't killed Wendell or Hodgins yet." She paused, debating. "You know, I can take care of myself. I take pride in the fact that I can do my job well. That I don't have to rely on people, but that I've learned that I can..." She was rambling again. _Twice in one conversation?_ He never would have believed it. "-ilar in my personal life. I'm very self-sufficient; it hasn't changed just because I've found someone to share my deepest thoughts with." She didn't need to specify; she knew he understood. "Truthfully though, I just wanted to hear your voice."

He smiled and leaned back in his chair. Thirteen days couldn't go by fast enough.


End file.
